Object Image

Naophorous Statue of the Finance Officer and Overseer of Fields, Horwedja

Unknown Artist

Naophorous (naos.bearing) statues show the subject holding a naos, or shrine, containing an image of a deity, in this case the god Ptah of Memphis. These statues were very popular during the Late Period. Almost invariably they are of hard stone, made to last for eternity. As finance officer under Darius I, Horwedja was in a good position to afford such a monument. Darius I was the second Persian king to rule over Egypt and the only one who seems to have had a genuine appreciation of the country. Egypt prospered under his rule, and the arts flourished.

Credit: Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust

521-486 BCE

Graywacke

43.0 x 14.0 x 23.2 cm

1920.1978

Image and text: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2024

Where you'll find this

The Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art

Permanent collection